Former Formula One driver Adrian Sutil has labelled Lewis Hamilton a 'coward' and says their friendship is over after the McLaren driver declined to testify at his trial.

Sutil, 29, was yesterday found guilty in a Munich court of causing grievous bodily harm by breaking a champagne flute over a team boss at a party.

He was lucky to avoid jail for the assault, which left his victim needing 24 stitches in his neck.

But after being handed an 18-month suspended sentence and fined 200,000 euros (£167,000), he launched a stinging verbal attack on his former friend.

Disgraced: Former F1 driver Adrian Sutil, pictured in a Munich court where he was this week found guilty of causing grievous bodily harm, has
labelled Lewis Hamilton a 'coward' for declining to testify at his trial

The incident occurred at a party in a Shanghai nightclub when Sutil was celebrating Hamilton's victory in the Chinese Grand Prix last April.

Eric Lux, chief executive of Lotus team owners Genii Capital, was the man struck by the glass, which shattered instantly and sliced open his neck.

Sutil claimed he had only been trying to throw a drink over him - and had hoped Hamilton would back him up with his testimony.

The former world champion had been expected to be summoned as a witness to give evidence on Monday, the first day of the trial, but declared himself unavailable.